The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-02-20
FOR THE HOUSEHOLD.
OF What Use =. F,,ar5noar,.c


or What Use Is Fine Lingerie?
Written for the Journal by Amy l.. Weaver
You have heard about the young ladies who
club together to hire one suite of rooms and
take turns in keeping house, and who have at
least one best dress in common, for what they
call grand (but call masculine) occasions Such
lotteries are increasing in number continually.
have read learned accounts of them as straws to
show that the wind of the world of labor is set
ting towards cooperation. Go not pretend to
have brains enough in my little head to discuss
that, but begin to think the common owner
ship OF clothes enters as much into the formation
OF these clubs anything. First, the best suit
which is as many times better than one miss can
ouy as there girls in the club; after that the
freedom from boarding house rules and gossip
and monotonous food. and finally, the cheapness
of living-these are the inducements that devel-
op these clubs If you had ever lived in a
boarding. house, with ham and eggs five morn
ings in the week, and all the household peepiug
over the balusters whenever your best company
called to see you. to say nothing of bearing next
morning that some sour old maid in the back
parlor thought it shame that gentlemen callers
should stay as late as IL o'clock in respectable
house-you would see which way the wind blew
yourself.
l was in one of these club fats the other day.
where five ladies live together in a suite of six
rooms. We girls all babes in the woods,
waiting for some man to find US and bring us
to matrimony; but three of these misses, poor
dears, had strayed so far among the trees that /
fear no husband will ever hunt them up. The
new young girls keep getting married and the
old ones keep getting new companions to make
Ep the FIVE. But the three charter members are
still in the woods WE'LL of course, 1 was shown
the best dress first of all. 1t hung in the parlor
closet, inside an unstarched skirt. with the
beaded basque in q box by itself. 1t certainly
was love of a dress, just between lilac and
dark purple in color, and made of silk so heavy
and stiffeued with jeweled trimming that it
could have stood up at queens reception with
out needing woman inside of it It cost these
five girls $3S apiece.
What history it could tell! How many parts
it plays 1t takes Alice very gravely to church
on Sundays with her civil engineer. 1t becomes
giddy and frtatious the pretty form of
Gertie, as it accompanies her to the plays and
afterward 30 little suppers on Friday nights. 1t
is fairly strained with suppressed excitement
when, on the back of Mary, 1t is forever being
squeezed into cabs on Thursdays, with pinch
'ngs and covert pressures thrown in And
then it is as prim as Quakers gown whom Viola
takes it to the watercolor exhibition and all the
dreary lectures on art Last years dress was in
the closet-good enough for occasions
when the gentlemen happened to insist on two
girls going out at once.
But what let a new light on these clubs for me
was being shown a bureau drawer full of the
very daintiest linen--skrts, you know, and cor
set covers, and-well. the whole set OUT each
garment, whether bfurcated or in one piece,
being formed of wealth of insertion, and plait-
ing. and tucks, and trimming of lace or en-
broidery. That drawer was simply symphony
in underwear.
ut goes with the best Dress" was told. 1
said ''of course" though hadn't thought
of such thing and suppose to man it would
seem perfect nonsense. Yet the minute l saw
the things l conceded the logic and propriety of
having them That, married women tell me, is
what men can never understano-why a woman
must be as perfect in regions invisible as in her
outer garb What IL nobody but washerwoman
does the exquisite lace and embroidery in
maiden's possession2 She knows she is wearing it.
She knows che is as nearly perfect as she can be.
My goodness! What a thought there is in that
sentence! Why. never shall forget how it is to
feel the other way. / had such experience
once. / was to speak graduating piece at
school I wrote it out and committed it to mem
Dry, and spoke 1t to my chums and relatives. and
to my teacher. It was praised to the skies, of
course. When the great day came expected to
walk the stage, smiling and bowling right and
left for ! knew that piece well AS do my
prayers. But on the way stopped to pick up
glove. My knee strained a tight and diaphanous
garment and r-r-r-ip went tear foot long.
On the stage l could think of nothing else.
Every drop OF blood went to my face. Every
line fed my memory 1t was exactly the same
to me if my skirts transparent and
everybody could see my misery.